


Not Playing Fair

by Emono



Category: Five Nights at Freddy's, Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Five Night's at Freddy's, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Character deaths will be rectified, Child Death, Drug Use, First chapter has some mild gore, Guards, Horror, It is FNAF we're talking about, M/M, Mangled!Lads, Robot Sex, Vengeance Demon(s), angst but happy ending i promise, but nothing explicit, kind of, only brief hearthurty feelings I swear, very bloody
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-09-14
Packaged: 2018-03-17 07:25:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3520538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emono/pseuds/Emono
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It had started out as a way to make beer money. What teenage boy didn't want to work in a pizzeria? They had to get into animatronic suits but what was the big deal about that? Play with the kids, rock out to some goofy music, get all the Coke they could drink - it was the perfect way to make cash money.</p><p>But when the Lads start to question the disappearances of children, the person they'd least expect to hurt them makes a move. They meet a tragic fate, but it's not the end - not by a long shot. The shadows are more than they seem and there's a puppet pulling all the strings. And he needs the Lads for vengeance of his own. They are trapped, bound by the suits, and there are rules to their new cursed life. They must find the child killer but their hands are all but tied. No communication with the outside world. The Shadow-driven puppet isn't playing fair. They need help, or forever be stuck in the curse that it "Freddy Fazbear's Pizza".</p><p>Geoff find a couple night guard/tech guy jobs for him and his friends. It pays well but it's not all as it seems. He meets these mangled boys and he wants to help him, but it's hard.</p><p>"Play time is over, boys."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Lads

**This is kind of an AU that was sort of a joke and then it escalated very quickly. Now we're here. Inspired by["Welcome to Freddy's"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwf1Hozcpw4) and beautifully supported by my lovely friends**

**Gifsets[here](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/112697349586/guys-i-i-think-they-want-in-we-dont-know-what), [here](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/112696702811/remember-that-favor-you-owe-me-listen-man), and [here](http://emono-omae.tumblr.com/post/112821151071/the-three-of-them-had-been-inseparablesince-birth). **

 

* * *

 

 

It had been Michael and Ray at first. Back on the playground where the kids teased Ray because he was a little darker than him and his glasses were too big. Michael's glasses had been just as oversized and he'd taken offense right away from the bullying, demanding the brats to leave the boy alone and chasing them off with growling noises. He was feared and avoided force on the playground ever since he'd broken Sam Novak's nose in the second grade after the bigger boy had pulled his curls and called him a 'faggot'. So when Michael picked Ray up and brushed the gravel dust off his clothes, they'd become instant outcasts – instant friends. They sat together at lunch and played together away from the other kids, making up stories and pretending to be Power Rangers and Pokemon trainers in the back of the soccer field where it was too bare to be any fun for the other kids.

 

They went into middle school the best of friends. Ray got new, slimmer glasses and stayed skinny as a rail. Michael found out that contacts weren't so bad and somehow kept on his baby fat where it sat cutely on his cheeks and belly. They saved up their lunch money and by the time seventh grade came around they could each afford to buy Xboxs and Halo. They daydreamed about hanging out on the network in the evenings and late into the night on weekends but as time went on they found that playing in the same room was way better. They started staying over at each other's houses as often as they could get away with, shoulder-to-shoulder in the dark as their ranks ramped up and they got damn good at demolishing missions together.

 

One day things changed. The boys had been half asleep in the bed together, limbs tangled from shifting around during the night, and Michael got the bright idea to close the distance to steal a kiss. Then Ray stole one back. And that day at school, a loud kid named Gavin transferred into their homeroom.

 

Gavin fit in well with them almost instantly. He kind of had to because the other Texan kids hated him straight away. He was too loud, his hair wild and his eyes too bright, his nose too big – he was all limbs and squawks. He didn't mesh with the jocks and Yearbook was full of snobby girls who refused to let some “ugly kid” in even if he was good with a camera and could have easily filmed all the sports games.

 

Michael had yelled the kid over during lunch his first day and made him sit down with him and Ray and that was that – they were friends.

 

“You lads play Halo?”

 

“Of course we play Halo, dumbass, what teenager doesn't?”

 

 _Lads_. It stuck. Lads-this, Lads-that. They were the golden trio, at least in their minds. Gavin supported his friends as they fought through their homophobic upbringing to come together in a relationship they kept from the kids at school and their parents. Ray had been mildly upset at hiding but he knew that once they were out of high school they could do whatever they wanted. Middle school was an ugly place and high school was a pressure cooker for hate with all the hormones and ignorance running rampant.

 

The summer before their freshman year, Michael snuck over to Ray’s house to crawl into his bed with his parents fast asleep just down the hall.

 

“I love you,” Michael had confessed in a hushed whisper, their foreheads pressed and their eyes clenched shut as they tried to hold onto the new intimacy.

 

In that moment, they had felt like adults. In that moment, they became ready for high school.

 

===

 

Still as inseparable as always, high school became a breeze as long as they were together. Now in their junior year, they spent every day after school getting high and playing video games while Gavin shot little videos of them. He had a lot of pirated programs on his laptop and he was getting good at playing around with special effects to make the silly recordings cool looking.

 

High school was a drag – the teachers, the busy work, the dumb kids. Senior year didn't feel like the big deal the movies made it seem like and college felt like forever away. The Lads had their whole lives ahead of them, their best party years so close they could almost taste the frothy kegs and the bundles of sunk week that would get passed around like grade-A shit. No one could tear them apart. Not the teachers, not their parents, not the bullies...

 

Not even death.

 

===

 

As their unofficial leader, Michael's room kind of became their homebase. It was roomie and he had a real bed, not the futon-shit his boyfriend slept in. Gavin's parents were strict on him having friends over on school days and they often wanted him to keep his door open. Michael's parents were never home. They both worked two jobs and when they were there they liked to get as much sleep as possible. His older brother took advantage of this and was always out. As long as the boy kept it down, his parents didn't give a shit what they did.

 

And that included the weed.

 

Michael's room was smokey and the sunlight became a musky yellow as it tried to pour through the blinds. The TV was on playing the oldest favorite magical pony cartoon but the noise was low. Gavin had stolen the beanbag as his own and was recording his two friends as they relaxed up on the bed together. Ray was on his DS pointedly not helping as his boyfriend struggled to light the stuffed bong.

 

“Better not let anyone see this, asshole,” Michael muttered before he tried to suck the flame into the weed. It thankfully lit up and he got it started.

 

“You look bloody hot with all that smoke pouring outta' you, Michael,” Gavin stated, accent butchering his friend's name. It had been years now and he'd never managed to correct it. Like 'Lads', 'Micoo' had stuck.

 

“You do,” Ray commented as he saved his game and set it on his lap to reach for the bong. “Don't be a fuckbag, hand it over.”

 

They each politely asked if Gavin wanted some, and as usual he declined. He had a beer he'd stolen from the fridge, a second of the evening. He was already sleepy and he didn't want to pass out on them before they got to video games. Unfortunately, the day had taken it out of him, and the moment the Brit pulled a blanket around him he was out like a light. He had his face hidden and his back half turned towards them, not snoring exactly but breathing deeply in that way they knew he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

 

The bong and DS were set aside and shorts piled up beside them, underwear joining soon. An open tube of lube was leaning awkwardly in one of the leg holes of the boxers, its use over. The bed didn't rock under their sluggish love making, shirts damp with sweat but every movement slow to savor every pulse of pleasure. The weed kept them hot and their heads pleasantly clouded up but they never lost sight of each other. They panted into each other's mouths and they could taste the bitter kush lingering there. Michael's cock moved in a smooth glide in and out of his boyfriend's body. The lube and condom maybe everything overly slick and he might've used too much but Ray wasn't complaining.

 

“Wanna' fuck you in a blanket fort.”

 

Ray chuckled and raked his fingers through his boyfriend's damp curls. “You always say that when you're high.”

 

“It'd be fun,” Michael whined against his jaw. “It'd be dark and cool and we could just be naked, fucking all high and soft and shit.”

 

“We're doing that now, asshole,” Ray huffed, bringing a hand down to smack the boy's ass. It was hard to do in missionary but he got the swell of it. Michael yelped and he knew he'd hit the mark to make it sting. The older retaliated by pushing up to fist a hand in the bed while the other grabbed his shoulder. With the new leverage he started to _really_ thrust, the obscene slap of skin the loudest sound as they kept their moans pushed down.

 

Michael couldn't look away from his boyfriend. Ray was all blushy and hot, maybe not in the conventional way but he loved it. Messy dark hair and that jawline, all the soft skin, the dark hair that grew thicker between the boy's thighs every year. He remembered when it had just been a dusting but now the strands tickled his palms. His nipples were so tiny and cute he wanted to bite the hell out of them until they got all hard. Ray got so bitchy when he had his tits played with too much.

 

“Love you,” Michael grunted out, breath hitching when his cock caught on the rim of the other boy's hole when he pulled out too far.

 

“No homo,” Ray snickered as he tilted his hips up to make it easier to fuck into him.

 

The older scowled and braced more firmly on the bed, pushing the other's knee back and going back inside. Ray's whiny moan cheered him right back up. “Shut up, I fucking know you love me.”

 

Ray tore his leg out of his boyfriend's grasp and looped it around his waist instead. It was harder to fuck in this position, they both knew it. Neither of them were exactly strong and the thrusts were shallow, but it felt good and they got to look into each other's eyes and kiss as much as they liked. They both still had hair triggers and it was hard not to come right when they got started. The weed helped but they'd only been getting together like this since Ray since turned sixteen in the summer. The sensations were still new.

 

Michael started kissing his neck but there was a hint of teeth he didn't expect. His boyfriend's hips picked up a different rhythm, his own thighs getting pushed up for a slightly deeper angle. Ray huffed out a moan and pawed approvingly at his shoulders.

 

“Don't leave me.”

 

Ray's brow furrowed up and he tried not to moan over his boyfriend's sudden plea. “Michael?”

 

“It's the fucking weed, okay?” Michael gruffed against his pulse, hiding his face. “Just tell me you're not going anywhere.”

 

“I'm not,” Ray promised. He wasn't sure what had brought up this desperation but Michael could get huffy when he got too high. He pet those ginger curls and kissed his head, tightening up around him to try and ground him as best he could. “You've got me, man. Not going to leave any time soon.”

 

Michael's sigh of relief brought goosebumps up on his skin. “Good.”

 

===

 

Friday evenings were the best. They promised a fat, lazy weekend stuffed with video games and pizza and way too much soda. Fresh out of school and high on the prospect of two straight days without being bothered by their parents to go to bed earlier.

 

This evening in particular they were slaying it on Call of Duty. Ray had brought his own TV and system so was on the beanbag in front of his set up, headset on while his friends' own were around their necks. Gavin had taken a spot on the floor leaning up against Michael's legs which were draped over the edge of the bed, his back propped up on a small mountain of pillows.

 

“Hey, boy, you were talking about a job, right?” Michael asked on the loading screen. He put a hand in the boy's product-filled hair and tilted his head back. Gavin's smile was beaming and it was catching, his own lips pulling at the sight.

 

“Yeah, wanted to get a new camera or a new phone,” Gavin replied with a renewed energy. “Need something high-def, yeah? I've got an idea for YouTube vids.”

 

Michael nodded. “Sweet. I was thinking of getting a fake ID and making some greeny, leafy spendy money for beer. My dad's getting on me about taking his beer and my brother totally ratted on me last time.”

 

“We should find a place together,” Gavin chirped. He took one of Michael's hats off the floor and tossed it at Ray. “ _All_ together.”

 

“Fuck that,” Ray grunted as he slid off his headphones.

 

“Come on, babe, you're sixteen now,” Michael needled. “It's time to get a shitty job.”

 

“Don't _babe_ me,” Ray shot back.

 

Michael raised his hands defensively. “I'm just saying I found this perfect place. We'll go get you a state ID and get your parents to sign whatever they need to and let's go all make some cash money.”

 

Ray looked skeptical. “You found somewhere with three openings?”

 

Gavin made a cooing noise and turned around on his knees, hands on the edge of the bed as he beamed up at Michael with pure adoration. “Did you, Michael?”

 

Michael lightly smacked his cheek. “Yeah, and it pays above minimum wage, so maybe you'll have some extra money to buy stuff for your boyfriend.”

 

Gavin's cheeks pinked up. “Dan's not my boyfriend, I've told you a hundred times!”

 

“But you're fucking him?” Michael stated bluntly, hiding his smirk as the Brit got all flustered.

 

“W-We're just really good friends!” Gavin protested, voice threatening to crack.

 

Michael nodded like he understood before he spoke up again. “ _Fucking_.”

 

“Just because we're the only two Brits in this stupid city doesn't mean we're shagging right off the bat!” Gavin squawked, smacking the other with the nearest pillow as his cheek got more red. “He only got here last year! He's my best mate besides you Lads, don't make it all weird.”

 

“Listen, numbnuts, it's already weird.” Michael blocked the blows with his inke forearm. “You and your fucking _B_. 'Oi, B, you're so fit and strong and I just want your knob in 'me bum.'” Gavin gaped at his butchered up accent. “He's super fucking hot for your ass too.”

 

“He is _not_!”

 

“Christ!” Ray belted as he tossed his controller on the floor before turning to face them fully. “You two with fucking Dan all the time. How about you both suck his dick already? Huh? Will that satisfy you?” The other two shut their mouths and he huffed. “Just tell us where the place is.”

 

“You guys don't mind kids, right?”

 

Ray shrugged but Gavin perked up considerably. “I love teeny ones!”

 

The youngest of them laughed a little. “Yeah, teeny humans are fucking great.”

 

“What about pizza?”

 

===

 

It was almost too easy to get hired. The owner's name was Matt Hullum. The guy was twitchy as shit but he seemed genuinely happy to see them show up together. After a short interview with all of them he brought them all in and confessed he'd been wanting to hire three people at once who knew each other. They each signed a contract and turned over their state IDs for photocopying, getting the standard questions of whether they had reliable rides or not. Once he learned they were in walking distance, he gave them a friendly lecture on the importance of getting home before dark and that if they needed a lift he encouraged them to call a cab (that he would pay for).

 

“Your safety is very important to me, boys. I'm taking on a responsibility by hiring you so young.”

 

They let out a small chorus of 'thank you, sir' and shook his hand, smiling politely.

 

===

 

“God, look at 'im. He's rather fit, yeah?” Gavin whispered in Michael's ear as they headed down the main hall to the security room. The older Lad grinned as the man his friend was talking about turned to face them. He was standing with Matt behind the desk and both men gave them a little wave as they approached.

 

“Boys, this is Adam Kovic. He's our head of security.”

 

“Mr. Kovic.” Gavin rushed up past his friends and took the older man's extended hand, shaking and squeezing it too firmly. Adam merely smiled at his enthusiasm and shook back. “I'm Gavin Free.”

 

“Mr. Free, it's wonderful to meet you.”

 

The other two introduced themselves but Gavin never stopped grinning, the tips of his ears all red as he took in how handsome the man really was. Adam had such thick shoulders a nice face, a light beard on his fine jaw, and some chocolate eyes that reminded Gavin of Michael's own but darker. He almost reminded him of Dan but...deliciously _older_.

 

“Adam here has been with us since we were a diner,” Matt proclaimed as he patted the guard on the shoulder, grinning at his bashful smile. “He's a good man. You boys listen to him. He's been with us for years now.”

 

“Don't lie to them, Matt,” Adm chuckled with a nervous chuckle. “I just have tenacity. I'm hardly any good.”

 

“He's the best,” Matt insisted. “He's practically my business partner. I was just a manager when he got hired by the old owners back in the diner days.”

 

Kovic rolled his eyes playfully. “Matt, don't. Those glory days are long gone.”

 

The boys laughed behind their hands as the two nudged each other, grinning like old friends with a shared, inside joke.

 

“If I could pay him more, I would,” Matt insisted.

 

“Oh stop it, Matt!” Adam clapped him hard on the back. “I'm perfectly happy with my job.” He looked to the boys with a smile that would have been beautiful if it had reached his eyes. “I truly enjoy taking care of this place to the best of my ability. I've followed Mr. Hullum here from the old location and I want to help make this place a success any way I can. We'll be seeing each other every day, boys.”

 

“We look forward to it,” Gavin chirped.

 

Michael scoffed a little at his friend. The Brit was always a kiss ass and a sucker for older men with power. Gavin's parents had always been distant and any attention was good attention for him. He loved his friend to death and he could get overly affectionate. Ray had always been understanding of their tiny kisses and sleeping close in the same bed, but Michael had always been sure to keep a line drawn between them as well as keeping the Brit away from inappropriate relationships from authority figures. It'd be hard to keep him away from the head guard. _Thank God he's got Dan to keep him focused._

 

While Matt stayed behind to finish up the paperwork, Kovic took the three new hires to the back room where they kept the suits. They all laughed when they saw them. A rabbit, a bear, and a yellow bird suit. They were stood up along the wall on display and they looked to be in pretty good condition, almost brand new. “These there are the ones you'll be using. They're animatronic suits. When you get in them, they do half the work for you. They have sound boxes and a bunch of neat sound-tracking stuff inside. I'll provide you boys with tapes to explain everything you need to know about how to get in and out of them.”

 

Ray's gaze went to the corner of the room where a suit was slumped rather lifelessly. It was like the bear but an ugly golden color. “What about him?”

 

“Oh, him.” Adam went over and hefted up the suit to set upon the hook bolted into the wall. He straightened the bear up and turned back to the kids with another one of those smiles. “Golden Freddy here's a spare. He needs some work but the budget's tight.”

 

And just like that it was dismissed.

 

“Look at this one!” Gavin gushed over the yellow bird suit, smoothing its fur. “I love it.”

 

“That there is Chica.”

 

“What a pretty duck she is,” Gavin cooed.

 

“That's a chicken, dumbass,” Michael snarked as he stepped up to the bear and patted its chest. “Dude, can I be him? I can like Banjo in real life. It looks just like my Minecraft skin!”

 

Kovic chuckled behind his hand. “That's Freddy Fazbear. He's our main mascot. He's a big responsibility to represent. Are you sure you're up for that?”

 

Michael stared at the suit with a new respect, little bubbles of excitement welling in his belly. “Hell yeah I am. I'd be, like, the leader, right?”

 

Kovic noded along. “You'd be our frontman, Mr. Jones.”

 

“That's perfect for you, dude,” Ray commented with a little hip bump that startled his boyfriend out of his little power rush. He shot him a wink before he went up to the last suit. It was a big purple bunny but he immediately felt some affection for it when he saw the orange guitar.

 

“You gonna be my bunny boy?” Michael cooed with an obnoxious grin.

 

Ray huffed but inside he fluttered under his boyfriend's attention. “There are worse things than being a kickass bunny shredding on a guitar. Like, I don't know, being some dorky bear trying to belt showtunes to kids.”

 

The two of them stuck their tongues out at each other and Gavin cast an appraising eye at Kovic.

 

The guard was staring at the Golden Freddy suit with a blank expression. The Brit frowned and tapped at the man's shoulder, making him jump. “Sir! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you.”

 

“That's fine, kid, don't worry about it,” Kovic brushed off quickly. “Now, let's get you those tapes.”

 

===

 

The pizzeria was closed the following Sunday for cleaning and Hullum was adamant about getting the boys started right away. Kovic had gone out of town for family things but his tapes were left behind. Hullum stayed in his office with his floor manager Miles to get the invoices double checked while a few members of the kitchen staff (a nice kid named Kerry, a strong cook named Blaine who could chuck sacks of flour like a pro, and his girlfriend Barb who seemed flighty but could spot a blight on an inventory sheet like a hawk) clattered around trying to get the new shipment of inventory sorted and dated in the industrial fridges.

 

The boys played the tapes and got more familiar with their chosen suits, testing out the limbs and reading the manuals that came with all of them explaining their personalities and roles. There was a separate booklet for suit-use as well. Adam's voice poured out of the stereo and they listened carefully. It was less embarrassing to play a tape over and over again than to keep asking the head of security the same annoying questions.

 

“ _Uh, hello! Hello, hello! Uh, welcome to your new career as a performer/entertainer for Freddy Fazbear's Pizza._ ”

 

“He sounds nervous,” Gavin cooed.

 

Ray shot him a sharp look. “Shut up, I'm trying to listen.”

 

“ _Uh, these tapes will provide you with much needed information on how to handle/climb into/climb out of mascot costumes. Right now, we have two specially designed suits that double as both animatronics and suits. So please pay close attention while learning how to operate these suits as accidents/injuries/death/irreparable and grotesque maiming can occur. First and most discussed is how to operate the mascots while in animatronic form. For ease of operation, the animatronics are set to turn and walk towards sounds they hear which is an easy and hands-free approach to making sure the animatronics stay where the children are for maximum entertainment/crowd-pleasing value. To change the animatronics to suit mode, insert and turn firmly the hand crank provided by the manufacturer. Turning the crank will recoil and compress the animatronic parts around the sides of the suit, providing room to climb inside. Please make sure the spring locks are fastened tight to ensure the animatronic devices remain safe. We will cover this in more detail in tomorrow's session. Remember to smile; you are the face of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza._ ”

 

“ 'Springlock'?” Gavin chirped up. “What the bloody hell's a 'springlock'?

 

Michael took off the Freddy head and peered inside. He doubled checked with the booklet and then pointed out the mechanisms inside. Ray put in the second tape.

 

“ _Uh, hello, hello. Uh, for today's lesson, we will be continuing our training on proper suit-handling techniques. When using an animatronic as a suit, please ensure that the animatronic parts are tightly compressed and fastened by the spring locks located around the inside of the suit. It may take a few moments to position your head and torso between these parts in a manner where you can move and speak. Try not to nudge or press against any of the spring locks inside the suit. Do not touch the spring locks at any time. Do not breathe on the spring locks, as moisture may loosen them, and cause them to break loose. In the case of the spring-locks come loose while you are wearing the suit, please try to maneuver away from populated areas before bleeding out, as to not ruin the customers' experience. As always, if there is ever an emergency, please go to the designated safe room. Every location is built with one extra room that is not included in the digital map layout programmed in the animatronics or the security cameras. This room is hidden to customers, invisible to animatronics, and is always off-camera. As always, remember to smile; you are the face of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza._ ”

 

“Oh, I see,” Gavin hummed as he looked at the book's diagram and compared it with what was inside Chica. It didn't seem to be too hard to stay away from the springlocks while inside, everything pulled away enough for him to squeeze into. “So they're half suits, half robots?”

 

“Animatronics,” Michael corrected.

 

Ray played with Bonnie's ears with a growing smile. “Guys, I think this can actually be...sort of cool? Like, not as lame as I was afraid it'd be.”

 

Michael walked over and slung an arm around his shoulders, pecking a kiss on his smooth cheek. “Babe, have I ever steered you wrong?”

 

“Don't call me 'babe'.”

 

“You two,” Gavin sighed as he let them nuzzle at each other while he started opening Chica up. “I'm going to get the crank and give it a try.”

 

===

 

It was an easier job than they'd expected and way more fun. They all fit comfortably inside the suits and it wasn't hard to get into the groove, to slide inside the suit and the characters. The music played automatically over the speakers and through their speaker boxes and they just jammed along. They delivered pizza to tables and hugged the kids, playing it up.

 

It felt like Disney land. And they were _rockstars_.

 

Ray went off on guitar solos and Michael played up the goofy leader but it was Gavin the kids fell completely in love with. Gavin's strange, bird-like noises were a big hit with them and they liked to crowd around and try to imitate him. He was quick to go to anyone who was crying and coo over them, crooning without words while their mothers wiped their tears.

 

All three of them were beloved very quickly. Matt remained the coolest boss they could have asked for and he was greatly pleased with them and the business they drummed up. A lot of the times the parents left tips for specific suits and the waiters _actually_ gave them to the boys at the end of the day.

 

=====

 

Michael and Gavin were fighting over a pudding cup when Ray slapped down the newspaper between them. They paused and the snack pack dropped to the table as they saw the secondary headline. A kid had gone missing and their parents were pleading for mercy, for information, offering all the money they probably owned for him to be returned.

 

“Hell,” Gavin cursed under his breath.

 

“Guys, do you remember this kid?” Ray frowned, tapping the picture.

 

Michael leaned heavily on the table and looked over the article, stomach bottoming out. “Yeah. Poor kid. I wonder what happened.”

 

Ray plopped down with a heavy huff. “Lot of fucking sickos roaming around. I hate this city.”

 

Michael slid the pudding cup over to his boyfriend. “This is everywhere, man. Motherfuckers crawl out of the ground. There's nothing we can do.”

 

“I guess. You guys got a spoon?”

 

=====

 

One night before close, things got weird. Michael swore he'd just been too tired from the long shift, that working six days (and sometimes seven) a week had gotten to his head. Matt had promised him them that this arrangement was only temporary, that he would find another set of workers for the suits to give them some relief so they didn't exhaust themselves.

 

Michael waited around while Ray talked with Hullum and Kovic privately about his parents concern with his hours. They were blaming his performance in school on his job and it was total bullshit. Even with their low financial status, they were uppity assholes and they just wanted to brag on their kid.

 

So while his boyfriend tried to put out that fire, Michael went exploring. Kovic hadn't locked the place up and he wanted to head into the back-room that always seemed to be locked. It was marked 'employees only' but he didn't have access. He had swiped Kovic's keys out of his locker and planned to return them straight away but only after a little look inside.

 

When he figured out what key it was, he hurried inside and shut the door behind him. He flicked on the light and expected to find strung up bodies or something but the room was just a musty storage area. There was a layer of dust on everything. Old displays, broken toys from the play area, oversized stuffed animals, and shelves packed with an assortment of miscellaneous things.

 

_Find them._

 

Michael flexed his jaw and jiggled his finger in his ear, something buzzing in his eardrum. He shook it off and took a lap around the room, hands trailing through the dust to leave stripes as he moved. It was interesting for a minute or two but he quickly got bored.

 

He was wondering if there would be any chocolate in the kitchen when one of the boxes fell over.

 

Michael jumped and felt like a total idiot when he saw the wobbling, precarious stack of boxes beside the one that had fallen. He calmed his heart and forced himself to quit being a jumpy baby. Things had spilled out from the loose top and he went over to pick them up. No reason to leave a mess. It was just some coils of ribbon, a package of glitter, a blanket-cover for a baby seat...

 

And a puppet.

 

Underneath the cover was a toy he'd never seen advertised before. It was all black limbs and white stripes, three fat fingers on each hand. A narrow waist, three buttons spotted up his chest, and a masked face. It was carved into a perpetual smile with purple tracks down its eyes, cheeks chubby with blush marks. It reminded him of a drama mask there was something _sad_ about it. Michael hated to see it all dusty like it was an he rubbed the bottom of his shirt across it.

 

“You okay, little guy?” Michael asked to himself as he wiped its face off. He'd gotten used to talking to the animatronics here like they were people and he'd stopped feeling silly a while ago. He cradled the puppet like a baby and prodded at its chest and belly, looking for metal. “You're just a regular puppet, huh? No movement for you?”

 

His fingers caught fire and his mind blanked out like a TV being switched off without warning. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open, skin blanching into a sickening paste.

 

_Save them. Find them. Save him. Save me._

 

Michael jolted at the sound of someone calling his name. He blinked hard at the puppet still cradled like a child in his arms, its tragic, innocent face still tilted up at him. He stood up on shaky legs and shoved it back in the box, flipping up the flaps and stacking it on top of the others. His fingers were trembling and whatever had struck him was clinging like static to the edges of his mind. He backed up until his back smacked against the shelves, gaze sticking to the boxes as if afraid the puppet would jump back out like some kind of wind up toy.

 

He heard Ray call for him again and he bolted from the room, locking it tight and throwing the keys on the nearest table with a carelessness he usually didn't show. He ducked past Ray and his parents and headed outside into the chilly night air. He threw up his hood and dug into his jacket for a beaten pack of cigarettes he'd bought off a senior at school. Michael made sure he was hidden in the alley beside the building before he lit up, hotboxing down to the stub before he managed to put himself back together. He lit up a second one and leaned against the brick wall, the trembles beginning to fade.

 

 _I'm working too hard._ Michael repeated to himself over and over until he almost believed it.

 

=====

 

The boys were getting into into their suits for the evening when there was a knock at the door. Kovic popped in looking cheerful as always. “Boys, no rush. We're reopening about fifteen minutes late today so I can get this camera glitch fixed. Safety first!”

 

“Safety first,” Michael chuckled as he slowed down, being more careful as he wiggled his legs into the Freddy suit. He grabbed his phone out of his locker and texted Lindsay, asking her to send him the answers to the math homework they had due tomorrow. The restaurant took a break from three to four in the afternoon to clean up and restock for the next half of the day. Fifteen extra minutes was a nice little reprieve.

 

“Mr. Kovic?” Gavin called sweetly, turning around and showing off the back side of Chica. The suit was still unclasped and the crank was in place right over where his ass was behind the panel. “Can you give me another pull? I think she's a little tight.”

 

The head of security chuckled and came over to grasp the crank and shoot the boy a wink. “It's supposed to be a little tight, Mr. Free. Tell me if it hurts.”

 

Gavin got all red around the ears as the guard gave three precise cranks. “That's perfect, Mr. Kovic, thank you.”

 

“Anything I can do to help,” Adam replied with a slight breathlessness to his tone. Gavin fluttered his lashes and watched him like a lovestruck pup as he left.

 

“Dude,” Ray grunted, catching his attention.

 

The Brit's snapped out of his light daze. “What?”

 

Ray gave him a hard look. “Knock it off. He's twice your age. Don't you have Dan?”

 

A sudden melancholy washed over the boy's face and he wiggled off Chica's top half so he could cross his arms over his chest. “No, I don't.”

 

Michael tossed his phone back into the locker and looked over at the Brit. “You could if you wanted.”

 

Gavin sucked his teeth and played with the edge of the Bonnie suit. “H-He doesn't want me like that.”

 

Michael walked up in the heavy bottom of the Freddy suit and grabbed the Brit's face in both hands. Gavin began to babble about how he didn't deserve a nice guy like Dan anyway but Michael cut him off with a firm kiss. Gavin melted into the touch instantly and sighed against those full lips, muttering his friend's name.

 

Michael broke away with a true smile, all his usual sarcasm gone. “You will never know if you don't ask.”

 

“You really think so, Michael?”

 

“Of course I do, dumbass.”

 

=====

 

The morning was grey and gross. Michael and Ray waited at the bus stop with their hoods up, the younger one's head resting on his boyfriend's shoulder. Their backpacks felt especially heavy today and the morning threatened to seal their eyes shut.

 

Gavin joined them with a newspaper under his arm and red, swollen eyes. He pushed it out for them to see with a small sniffle and the front page showed a cute young girl with a bright smile. She'd gone missing.

 

“I gave this girl a-a balloon on Saturday,” Gavin sniveled with a quivering voice. “It was her birthday.”

 

Michael caught him in a hug before he really started to cry and once the tears came they were loud and rough. Michael hushed him gently and rubbed his back, his own eyes watering in grief for the missing child. A car drove by full of some of their classmates and one of them stuck their head out.

 

“Faggots!” the guy shouted as they passed.

 

“Fuck you!” Ray barked, fists clenched at his sides at he glared at the car even as it rounded the corner.

 

“Michael,” Gavin whined into his ear, the older boy petting his hair a little. “What if those two kids got abducted after going to the pizza place? What if they got followed afterward?”

 

It didn't sound too farfetched and it planted new seeds of doubt. He held Gavin more firmly and nodded. “You're right, boy. We'll talk to Matt about it. Mr. Kovic might up security.”

 

Gavin sighed in relief and hugged him back.

 

They were just a bunch of kids, they couldn't do a lot, but Matt and Kovic were adults and if something was wrong they could fix it.

 

===

 

The boys requested a private sit down and they got it two days later after a late Friday shut down. The place was busy with employees cleaning up and checking dates on the food while the three of them sat down in Matt's office with Kovic standing behind their boss in full uniform. They expressed their concern to the adults about how their establishment might be some kind of sick stalking ground for the kidnapper and potential murderer. One kid was a coincidence, but two was starting to become a pattern.

 

“I understand your concern, boys,” Matt agreed calmly, hands folded on the desk in front of him. “But there's nothing to worry about. If we thought for even a second that our place of business was being involved in some sort of stalking, we would shut down and start a full investigation involving not only only eye witness accounts but the cameras as well.”

 

The professional response made Gavin tear up. Adam came around the desk and put a hand on the boy's shoulder, fingers moving just slightly in a light rub. “I don't like seeing you boys unsettled by this. I want everyone to feel safe here and it's my job to do so. How about this?” The boys looked up at him and he softened his expression almost purposefully. “I'll join the day shift on a permanent basis and we'll install an extra camera or two in any blind spots I find.”

 

Ray's sigh of relief was audible and Michael slumped in his seat, content. Gavin gave the guard a watery smile and briefly touched the hand on his shoulder. “Thank you, Mr. Kovic.”

 

“Please, it's Adam. We're all friends here.”

 

The boys didn't notice how quiet Hullum went and he had schooled his face into a pleasant smile before they looked back. “Do you boys need a ride home?”

 

“No thank you, Mr. Hullum, we can walk.”

 

=====

 

Saturdays were long days and the boys came in early to get a full days pay for the days they missed during the week for school work. Matt had announced in the morning staff meeting that he already had three more people lined up to be the suits during the weekday so they could more interactive characters instead of relying on their animatronic settings. They were all girls, friends of Barbara, and he proclaimed he was excited to have a feminine touch around in the mornings and that more girls birthdays were to be held then if they could swing it. The boys weren't offended. Hell, they were excited. New employees meant more cool people to work with.

 

“Maybe we can take off some evenings for the new girls and try a hand at serving instead?” Gavin had offered during the meeting.

 

“I like how you think, Mr. Free! We'll set up the training for it.”

 

The quick grant of his request had set the Brit in a good mood that had carried him all the way to the changing room. Ray, however, was confused and kind of annoyed.

 

“Huh,” the boy explained as he looked over Bonnie and peered inside her neck hole. “I could've fuckin' sworn I put her away closed and kind of crooked. Like, she's cranked open.”

 

“Maybe Kovic straightened everything up before he left and Bonnie got jostled up,” Michael offered. “Just double check next time, man. They're supposed to be put away in animatronic mode to keep the stress off the springlocks and make them last longer.”

 

“Nerd.” Ray dragged the word out way too long. “Someone read the _manual_.”

 

The couple stuck their tongues out at one another and only stopped making faces when Gavin cleared his throat.

 

“So, Dan's going into the army when he graduates.”

 

“Huh,” Michael huffed. “The American military or whatever you Brits have?”

 

“He hasn't decided whether he's going to renounce his citizenship or not, but he's talked to both recruiters and he needs to sit down with the fam to talk it out,” Gavin rattled off as he wiggled himself into Chica. “Either way, he's joining and going on a tour to pay off any college he might fall into and to do his dad proud.”

 

“Oh, that's kind of smart,” Ray remarked as he took off Bonnie's bottom and started opening up the back panel for him to step into.”

 

“He's so brilliant,” Gavin cooed. “He says he'll finish just after I graduate too.”

 

Michael made a teasing noise and shot him a grin. “You guys planning on running away together?”

 

Ray wrinkled up his nose. “Are you leaving us right after graduation, Gav?”

 

“I _plan_ to go to college with you lads for a bit until I get a good resume together for film school,” Gavin reminded them quickly. They'd had the same plan since freshman year despite a major changing now and then.

 

“You and your slow-mo dreams,” Ray chuckled, the wriggle of concern that had started to work through his chest fading away.

 

“Shut up, X-Ray!” Gavin whined with a fake pout. “It's legitimate stuff!”

 

Michael started putting on the top half of his suit and after he was settled in he gave a whistle. “Dude, hitch me up.”

 

Ray walked over and obediently latched the back together with a final _click_. He went over to help Gavin but Michael stayed still, shifting around experimentally. He frowned and watched Gavin get suited up as well. “Dude, does it feel a little tighter to you guys today?”

 

“A bit, yeah,” Gavin admitted.

 

Ray shrugged. “Maybe the humidity shrunk them up a little. It's so bad outside the tables _in here_ are sweating.”

 

Michael frowned. “Maybe, but-”

 

They all heard Miles call for them and they hurried up to get dressed.

 

=

 

It was the best Saturday they'd had so far. The kids had been full of energy. Maybe they could sense that the store would be closed for some minor repairs and deep cleaning on Sunday and they wanted to get all their energy out now. The Lads laughed and stumbled into the changing room. With Hullum gone early the staff had pretty much given up for the night. The restaurant was a mess but it could all be cleaned up tomorrow.

 

The three of them were laughing together as they filed through the door.

 

“The boys playing cowboy,” Gavin squawked. “God, Michael, that one little boy was riding you like a horse!”

 

“He wasn't hurting anything,” Michael assured him. “Little dude clung on tight and didn't try to yank my head.”

 

“He was a good egg,” the Brit giggled as he stretched a little, Chica stretching with him but digging in under his arms. “You lads want to come over tonight?”

  
  
“Are the ‘rents out?” Ray asked as he pawed around the Bonnie head around him for the hidden latch that would separate the pieces. “They never want us hanging around on weekends.”

 

“Well we’ve only bloody got Sunday left, don’t we?” Gavin tisked. “And yeah, they’re out until Tuesday. We can hang out Monday night at my place for once.”

 

There was a sudden _snap_ before before a whir of machinery and sickeningly wet squelches. Michael’s stomach bottomed out in undefined terror before he whipped around, vision obscured by the Freddy head but not enough to keep him from seeing the cherry red splotches bloom all over the Bonnie suit. He couldn’t quite see Ray’s eyes but he could hear his boyfriend’s strangled gasp and could see the sharp jerks of his body even through the clunky suit. Red oozed through the arms and waist of the suit and dripped like syrup over the purple fur, staining it. It started to leak through the fibers, bubbling up.

 

A small well of blood licked the rim of one of the eye holes before rolling down like a tear.

 

Gavin’s high pitched scream rang in his ears and Michael watched helplessly as his friend started to claw at his own suit, a horrified assortment of noises escaping the Chica suit. The round belly of the suit flexed and Gavin cut off with a squeak. One last gurgle sounded before Chica’s beak started to drip with bright, rich blood. Red blossomed appeared over her yellow form and then the whole thing collapsed in a heap.

 

“Gavin!” Michael took a step forward but the same gurgling noise came from Bonnie. “R-Ray? Baby?”

 

Bonnie tipped forward and fell with a heavy thud, soaked suit squishing on the carpet. Michael let out a mournful wail of confusion and started pushing at the Freddy head, desperate to get it off and find out what the hell was going on. The latch in the back that kept the head in place clicked tighter when he tried to dislodge it and suddenly all those places in the suit that had been too tight before clamped down.

 

Michael heard the crunch long before his body felt it. Metal edges and cogs and bars bit into his skin, tearing his clothes and sinking into the yielding flesh with almost no resistance to speak of.

 

“No, no, _fuck_ ,” Michael choked. The door to the room opened up but he couldn’t register as the pain started to send his body into shock. His arms felt shredded and when he tried to move them muscle came away from bone and he _shrieked_. He’d never known such pain. It wasn’t fire it was dry ice, stinging and freezing every bit of him. A metal bar tore through his kneecap and he was blinded, falling like a ton of bricks. The impact with the carpet was so impossibly little to how much agony was wracking his body. There was too much to feel at once and it came in waves, pulses of that dry heat that pumped his lifeblood out of the new holes in his flesh. Every heartbeat sent a new gush of wetness into the suit.  

 

Michael started to shake as he felt warmth leave him in streams. His head was heavy but he picked it up and blinked the blurriness from his vision to concentrate on the figure by the door. “H-help…Adam, p-please...Ray ‘n Gav...”

 

Kovic slowly shook his head. “I’m sorry, Michael. I didn’t want to do this but you left me no choice. It’s over.”

 

The guard left and the loud _click_ of the lock felt like the final nail in his coffin.

 

Michael coughed and forced himself onto his hands and knees, copper on his lips and the Freddy suit ten times heavier than it had ever been. His tunneled, hazy vision settled on his boyfriend and the soaked Bonnie suit. He dragged himself in a crawl towards him. Ray’s hand was reaching out for his and he wanted to hold it, to try and comfort him. His love was in pain, in agony like him, and every movement toward him sunk the metal that much deeper into his skin. Muscle and tissue gave way and eventually he dropped to the floor with a wet sputter.

 

In his clogged mine, the eyes within that ugly purple suit were wide and glassy with tears, and the limp hand on the floor stretched out to him was grasping and full of life. It didn’t occur to him that Ray was long gone, killed quick from a blunt metal rod driven through the back of his neck.

 

“C-Can’t…” Michael wheezed, lungs filling with blood and making each breath so dangerously saturated. All he could taste was copper and the salt of his own tears, body starting to jerk as an unnatural coldness started to work its way out from his very bones. _Can’t end like this, not like this, don’t take them. We’re not done. We can’t be done._ More tears flowed as he gazed dully at the limp Bonnie suit. _We haven’t even started._

 

And then he couldn’t feel anything.

 

===

 

They were left to rot overnight. Three limp bodies encased in metal and fur and lay around each other but so far apart. There was an occasional twitch from the parts in the suit suddenly snapping through bone and coming together but otherwise the whole place was dead still.

 

Matt arrived bright and early Sunday morning and unlocked the doors himself. His first stop was to check on the suits to make sure the boys put them away correctly and to his horror he found them as broken heaps in tacky, dark pools of blood. He wretched and staggered backwards into the hall, bile coating his tongue as he saw the flies that had gathered on the three forms.

 

Matt slammed the door and locked it shut before going to the bathroom to throw up. He sent a mass email to all employees to not come in for the day because of “health issues that I would rather deal with by a private contractor than expose my employees to.” Then he left.

 

The room grew colder once abandoned. The back storage room light flickered briefly before the bulb snapped. The top box rustled noisily before falling over. The lid popped open and out spilled a seat cover, a coil of ribbon, and a slew of party hats. But no puppet.

 

Shadows crept into the changing room - leaking in from under the door, from inside the lockers, from the very corners themselves. They reached out like spidery fingers and blended with the puddles of drying blood. They latched on to the limp limbs of the suits and eased inside any cracks they could find. Unseeing eyes glazed over in a milky film, wounds filling up with the darkness as black, oily blood was pumped fresh into destroyed veins.

 

A young boy of eight appeared in the middle of the room, head bowed so blonde locks covered his eyes. The shadows swirled around him, swamping him, and when they fell away he looked just as old as the teenagers in disjointed heaps upon the floor. He knelt down between the three of them as a manic smile split his handsome face, lips stretched almost too wide to show off the fine lines of his teeth.

 

“No, Michael,” the boy hissed out in a mockingly loving voice as he stared at the blank doe eyes. “It’s far from over.”

 

=====

 

_Uh, hello? Hello, hello! Uh, there's been a slight change of company policy concerning use of the suits. Um, don't. After learning of an unfortunate incident at a sister location, involving multiple and simultaneous spring lock failures, the company has deemed the suits temporarily unfit for employees. Safety is our top priority at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, which is why the classic suits are being retired to an appropriate location, while being looked at by our technician. Until replacements arrive, you'll be expected to wear the temporary costumes provided to you. Keep in mind that they were found on very short notice, so questions about appropriateness/relevance should be deflected. I repeat, the classic suits are not to be touched, activated or worn. That being said, we are free of liability, do as you wish. As always, remember to smile; you are the face of Freddy Fazbear's Pizza._

 

* * *

 

**Hope you guys enjoyed that. It was super fun to write and I have this whole thing planned out as roughly 8 chapters but we'll see how it goes.**

 


	2. Second LIfe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Matt comes back to the pizzeria but it's not what he expected.  
> The Lads wake up but it's not what they expected.

**BTW: this takes place in the first pizzeria. There was a diner, a pizzeria, the setting of FNAF 2, and then the last store at FNAF 1**

**[Here's the vid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1kw1RmzrPc) I'm basically going off of**

* * *

 

 

Matt was a nervous wreck come Sunday. He’d been plagued with nightmares of broken bodies and blood soaked gears, matted fur. He’d woken up in a cold sweat at three AM and, after six months of clean living, had called his dealer. A quick exchange of money and he had his sweet, white powder again. One snort and the image of his mangled employees disappeared. But the coke could only do so much and he couldn’t run from the problem forever.

 

 _Hide the bodies_ , his manic mind whispered.

 

He went in to the pizzeria Sunday to do just that. He prayed no one saw him and not because of his reddened eyes and twitchy fingers but because he was about to commit a felony. Disposing of their poor bodies - it made him sick to think about it. But it was necessary. He couldn’t lose this business, he’d worked too hard for it.

 

Except for Adam was there to greet him.

 

  
“M-Morning,” Matt greeted, his very chest shuddering in panic as he fumbled with the keys. He tried to make small talk to sound casual but he knew he was coming off wired so he quickly shut up. Adam was kind about it, walking with him through the place and offering to go get coffee for them after everything was unlocked.

 

“Yes!” Matt jumped at the opportunity. “Can you pick up breakfast too?”

 

“Sure can,” Kovic drawled.

 

Every door was unlocked and the cameras were flicked on, the place coming to life a little with each switch flipped. Matt waited, chewing his nails until he heard Adam call out a “be back in a bit!” followed by the front door shutting. Matt raced from his office to the changing rooms, bracing himself for the ungodly smells and sights. He threw open the door, ready to heave, and shock slackened his face.

 

There was _nothing_.

 

All the holding lockers were neatly shut and there wasn’t a spot of blood on the floor. Matt slowly walked inside and examined the carpet. No shred of clothing, no hair, no bag, not even a beanie. Everything was calm and clean, maybe even more-so than before. He checked the windowsill and there wasn’t even a line of dust. The place had been wiped clean almost unnaturally so. But the lockers - that’s where his true fear lied. He took several long breaths as he approached them, sniffling hard and swiping at his nose with the back of his hand. He didn’t feel at all ready for something like this but if someone was fucking with him then he was going to at least get to the bottom of it. He grabbed the handle of the first locker, prayed for a quick end, and yanked it open.

 

Matt hissed and closed his eyes but when nothing struck him he cracked open an eye. The only thing inside was the Freddy suit. It was upright and in its place, all in one piece and completely clean. He gulped and peeked into the bear’s mouth but he didn’t see anything. There was something in those glass eyes, something he couldn’t quite place.

 

Matt reached up and moved Freddy’s jaw down. Still nothing. Just a metal skeleton. Though it made him ill to think about it, he needed to check it for pieces of the boy. If there was any scrap of evidence in the suit then the whole place was going down in flames. He slipped his hand inside and felt around the gears and bars. There wasn’t anything at first but then he heard it, the first notes of a faint shout. He thought it was coming from the street at first. He cocked his head and tried to listen more closely but his world quickly narrowed down to the hot sludge that slopped across his fingers. Matt pulled his hand out with a shriek and stumbled, knees giving out so he landed on his ass. There was a thick, oil-like substance coating his hand and his fingers were shaking when he held them up. It didn’t burn but he started to hyperventilate thinking that it might.

 

An echoing wail came from the suit, Freddy’s overly bright eyes staring somewhere above Matt’s head. The piercing sound stung his ears for only a few seconds before fading out, Freddy’s eyes returning to their dull cerulean. Matt crawled away, carpet getting smeared with muck, and he hit the wall. No, not the wall.

 

Matt cocked his head up and stared in shock at Kovic’s calm face. “Shit, Adam…”

 

“What’s that?” the head guard asked as casually as if he were inquiring about the weather.

 

“Jesus Christ, man, we have to get out of here!” Matt barked as he scrambled to his feet, hands clutching desperately at the man’s uniform. “I don’t know what the fuck happened, but the boys are _dead_. I watched them die, alright?” The other didn’t react and he shook him. “Can you fucking hear me, man? The springlocks gave and the boys were _in there_ and I think they’re _still_ fucking in there.”

  
The last words were said in a paranoid hiss that made Adam’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline.

 

“What do we do?” Matt rasped as he tugged at the man’s shirt. “T-They’re not in there but they _are_. Do we...do we burn the suits?”

 

Kovic’s lips pursed, friendly expression starting to fade. “Of court not. Matt, you know we can’t afford that. We put all our money into the move here. If the suits work, fine, use them.”

 

Matt felt his stomach give a sour turn.

 

“Not that any of that is real,” Adam assured him with a condescending smile. “You’ve been snorting up again, haven’t you? Poor guy.” The little pat on the cheek he got made him wince. “I told you - if you’re going to do that stuff, don’t do it in the morning. Coke is going to eat your nose.”

 

Matt held up his slick hand. “If it’s not real, what’s-”

 

“Oil,” Adam cut him off with an unyielding sharpness. “This is ridiculous, Matt. Jesus, you don’t have _coke_ money. What are you doing? Look at yourself.”

 

Matt let go of the other and looked over himself. Rumpled, stained clothes and shaking hands paired with what he was sure were reddened eyes, pale cheeks. He was a disgusting mess, a shadow of the boss he’d tried to paint himself to be. Kovic’s look of mild disgust pushed the mindset and when he looked back at the suits that’s all they were - suits.

 

“I was high,” Matt stated with a bewildered certainty as his eyes dropped to his hands again to watch how they shook, ‘oil’ still staining his fingers. “I’m _still_ high. I-It didn’t happen.”

 

“Whatever you heard was in your head,” Kovic urged. “There’s nothing wrong with the suits. Whatever you saw yesterday must have been a nightmare, that’s all. I’m sure the boys went home. Kids are quick to go home on Saturday.”

 

The little laugh at the end of those words was like a gut punch of reality.

 

“Of course,” Matt huffed with a relief that had only began to sink in. “Fuck, of course. It’s fine, right?” Adam nodded. “Okay, yeah, I just need...I need to call their families, make sure they got back home at a decent time.”

 

“That sounds like a good idea, man. Let me get everything set up for the cleaning crew and I’ll come by your office, okay?”

 

Matt nodded quickly before he passed the guard to get out of the room as fast as he could.

 

o0o

 

Adam waited until late into the night when every last worker had left and the building was spotless before he snuck in with a heavy duffel bag. He made sure to wear a nondescript baseball cap and plainclothes just to be safe. The first thing he did was disable the cameras, and after he relocked everything he went to the back storage closet. The right wall had light boxes stepped in front of it and old stuffed animals and it only took a few minutes to clear it. Adam got on his knees and zipped open the duffel, digging through the heavier dry wall materials to pluck out the box cutter. The blade extended a few section and he felt along the wall with one hand, judging, before he plunged the blade it. It cut through like butter, easily carving out a perfect square. He pushed at the center with his palm until the section gave.

 

Adam set the section aside and plunged his arm into the hole, feeling around. It only took a few seconds before he caught hold of the first bag. He pulled it out and wrinkled his nose. The sickly smell of decay poured into the room but it was laden heavily with the cinnamon, coffee grounds, and lavender that he had stuffed in along with the body parts. Four small double-bagged bundles in heavy duty trash bags, each coated in baking soda to keep the smell from spreading. He pulled out a larger trash bag and put all the bundles inside to keep from having to sweep out his trunk. He wanted his “charges” safe and comfortable but he was looking out for his protection first.

 

Fixing the hole was methodical and took less than an hour. The color matched perfectly and he got some simple joy out of it. After it was completely finished he put all the supplies back in the duffel and changed his shirt, his shorts for jeans. Neither bags were too heavy and he hefted them with ease.

 

“Don’t worry, kids, you’ll like the new place,” Adam promised sweetly. “Matt doesn’t know it yet, but we’re going to have to leave soon. Between those boys disappearing and what I have planned...we’ll have to move to a bigger city so they don’t catch on. You’ll just stay with me in a nice plastic crate for a month or two before we get you back _home_.”

 

Adam had to walk through the main show room to get to the front door. He gave pause when he heard someone. A whisper at first, a rasp, and then a hiss. There was malice behind the sound. He slowly put down both bags and started to approach the suits. Matt had ordered one of the workers to set them up for Monday and they were ready to be switched into animatronics. As far as he knew they were still open in “suit” mode but something about them seemed _alive_. The gleam of their glass eyes, their posture, their unsettling stillness as if waiting for him to get into arm’s length. _Matt was right. There’s definitely something in there._

 

“Michael?” Adam asked, feeling silly. He looked into Freddy’s face and he swore the whispers were coming from his closed mouth. The guard cocked his head one way, then the other, carefully listening. There were words just below the frizzle of static and then a single phrase ground out.

 

_You motherfucker._

 

“Michael,” Adam breathed, hand coming up to touch his lips. “Shit, are you really in there?”

 

There was just more breathless hissing.

 

The guard gave a long, regretful sigh. “Listen boys, I’m sorry about all this. I just couldn’t let anyone find out. Can’t you move on or whatever?”

 

The Bonnie suit snapped towards him suddenly, one hand reaching out in a stilted movement that ended once the man jumped back.

 

“You’re angry, I get it. But, Jesus, what’s holding you here? There’s nothing else you can do!” Adam shot a sneer at the heavy black trash bag where all his little charges laid. “You think you can save them? That you can save others? Well _fuck you_ , because I’ve tried.” He raked his fingers through his hair and puffed like a bull. “I can’t stop. I-I really can’t, you have to believe me.” A manic smile twisted his lips. When he raised his face to the suits it was almost recognizable in its sick joy. “And I’m going to keep doing it until they put a needle in my arm, you understand me?”

 

A flurry of fresh whispers hit his ears and he winced, stumbling back and trying to physically swat them away. It was almost a touch, like blunt nails scratching at his skin. He could only pick out a few words through the buzz.

 

_You’re next._

 

Adam grabbed the bags and made a run for it. There was no way he was coming back around the suits at night, not anymore.

 

===

 

Michael, Gavin, and Ray woke up in crumpled heaps by the suits. They’d been held in shadow and agony for what felt like an eternity and to open their eyes to the world as they knew it. Though their bodies ached to the core and their heads were full of lead, they managed to sit themselves up and stare at one another.

 

No cuts, no gashes - not even a bruise. Whole, unharmed, not even a rip in their clothes.

 

“Ray?” Michael croaked as he watched his boyfriend fix his glasses to gawk at the showroom like he’d never seen it before. He crawled over as quickly as he could manage and plastered himself against the younger boy’s side. “You’re here. Thank fucking Christ, you’re _here_.”

 

Ray started to hug him back and murmur, “I’m not going anywhere, Michael, I-”

“You’re right. None of you are.” A guttural voice uttered. “And don’t thank Christ for this second chance, boy. Thank _me_.”

 

Michael wrapped his arm around Ray’s shoulder and pulled his boyfriend closer like he could shield him. All three boys looked to the new figure in the room. It was a man they’d never seen before - more a teenager, like them, but with a sharpness to him they couldn’t explain. He had a crop of wavy blonde hair and unusually flawless, pale skin covered by deceptively simple clothing. He had full lips and deeply set eyes that were black as tar, spidery veins creeping from the center to spread out to disappear into his hairline or fade along his cheeks, the edge of his lips. The same dark veins bled through this wrists and throat, seeming to pump black sludge instead of blood through his body.

 

Gavin whined and Michael reached for him, taking the Brit by the wrist and dragging him up to fit along his side. They clung to each other and stared at the stranger as he approached.

 

“Who the hell are you?”

 

“I’m Ryan.” It was echoy, like two sound clips laid over one another, the voice so full it was trying to thread apart. The build up of shadow behind the other teenager was stifling, thicker than smoke as it curved around table legs and licked at his shoes. “I brought you back.”

 

Ray grabbed Michael’s hand and squeezed tight. “Back from where?”

 

“From the end.”

 

Gavin turned his face away and buried it in Michael’s shoulder, a pathetic sound sticking in his throat.

 

“We couldn’t let you die. Not without a chance of redemption.”

 

Michael frowned and shared a look with Ray. _We._ The wording was unsettling. “What do you want?”

 

“We need you,” Ryan hissed out. “We need you to reveal him, to show the children, to get vengeance.” A flicker of blue shuttered across his inky gaze. “To tell my parents I’m here.”

 

Though their minds had been cloudy and buried under agony, they could all remember Kovic carting out a trash bag followed by sulking shadows. _Children_. The bastard had killed those missing children. Hunched little shadows of their former selves, locked to their bundled bodies from the malicious way they’d been taken from this life. They’d been unrecognizable as anything but lumps of old life and they were bound as much as the Lads feared they now too were.

 

“You’re one of the kids?” Gavin picked up his head and frowned at the teen. “I’m sorry, Ryan, that’s awful.”

 

“I’m the _first_.” The word was bit out and Gavin flinched. “I was here when it started and I’ll be here when it ends. He took me from my family and I took you from death. But now there are rules.”

 

The boys huddled even closer, legs brushing and hands grasping at each other in a desperate need to protect one another. Ryan began to circle them, the lack of pupils in his saturated eyes doing nothing to keep them from feeling raked over, gaze burning paths across their forms in a way they could feel through their clothing.

 

“You are not to move during the day.” Ryan began in that wobbling, layered voice of his. “You cannot leave the building. You cannot draw pictures, you cannot leave notes. You cannot enter the guard’s area.”

 

“What?” Michael huffed, brows knitting up as the words sunk in.

 

“You’re going to reveal our murderer,” Ryan continued, gaze fixated on the oldest boy now. “You’ll allow the world to know his face, and the families that he destroyed. When you do this, you’ll be freed. These are the rules and conditions of this second life.”

 

“How are we supposed to do that if you lock us up?” Michael snapped, his anger undermined by the tremble of his fingers against his friends shoulders.

 

Ryan tisked loudly. “It has given us all a second chance but we must be clever, must be quick. We must earn it.”

 

Gavin swallowed thickly. “Earn what?”

 

“Earn _death_.”

 

“You keep saying ‘we’ and ‘it’, who the hell did this?” Michael’s voice was threatening to crack. He was shaking apart. “Who’s trapping us?”

 

The dark veins in the man’s face pulsed darkly, a ragged breath leaving his chest. “The Shadows.”

 

“That’s fucking stupid!” Ray lashed out. “How the hell are you going to stop us? I can walk out right now and you can’t-” The words caught off in a scream as ice cold electricity shot through his very veins. Michael held his boyfriend tight as he started to convulse, wide eyes staring at nothing from behind his glasses as he jerked around. It only lasted a few seconds but they stretched into an eternity, mimicking the limbo they’d been stuck in but twice as agonizing. When the pain shorted out he melted into a limp heap held up only by the older boy’s arms.

 

“What did you do?” Gavin demanded in a high squeak as Michael ran his fingers through Ray’s hair and kissed his cheeks, hugging him tightly. There was a sharpness in those doe eyes now and they were trained on Ryan with furious intent. The fear he felt almost made him more wild.

 

“The Shadows that gave you those bodies require sacrifice. These rules are part of that,” Ryan insisted, the darkness flexing around him like it had a heartbeat of its own. “You feel no pain unless they desire it. And when you break these rules, they _will_.”

 

“Being alive only at night,” Michael growled, hand cupping his boyfriend’s jaw as his little whines started to die down. “If that’s what you’d call _living_. These shadows are binding our hands, literally. What the fuck do they want.”

 

Ryan’s eyes somehow glazed over and the emptiness in them was disturbing. When he spoke it was in a brief, rough croak. “ _Blood._ ”

 

It chilled them. Ray buried his face in his boyfriend’s shoulder and silently begged for it all to be a nightmare but it was all too real.

 

Michael’s mouth went dry but he couldn’t keep quiet. “We’re back. Whatever happened doesn’t matter, fuck you if you’re going to hurt us for doing it. We’ll talk to whoever we find and we’ll tell them about Kovic and we’ll be done!”

 

Ryan’s low chuckle made him snap his mouth shut and watch as he walked straight up to them. Michael shielded Ray with his body but his resolve quickly crumbled as the dark eyed teen dropped down to a crouch in front of them. Gavin crawled back and drew his legs up to keep himself from touching the other in any way. He looked as if he would dissolve flesh like acid, like his very presence was poisonous and his breath would burn.

 

“Stupid child,” Ryan hissed out with a slow smirk, hands on his knees but tensing with the need to lash out. “You need me more than I need you.”

 

Michael didn’t mean to clutch at his boyfriend so hard but he whined when blunt nails dug in through his t-shirt.

 

“You think you look like what you see in front of you?” Those inky eyes crinkled at the edges with amusement. They flicked over to Gavin and the Brit flinched. “Do you boys honestly think you’re in one piece?”

 

“O-of course we are.” Michael tripped over the words, heart beating fast.

 

“Really? _Check again_.”

 

* * *

  
**I really hope you guys liked it, it was hard to get out :)**  
**But I promised someone very nice to write this to show that the boys were all still together**  
***quietly prays for feedback***


	3. Seventeen Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three new guards at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza get started.

_Seventeen years later…_

 

“Please.”  
  


The word had been repeated in the same whiny tone for the past half hour. Joel tried to concentrate on his laptop but his eyes kept getting distracted by intricately tattooed arms. Geoff was sitting crosslegged on his desk behind his screen, pouting at him with his chin in his hands. The younger man had come over in super casual clothes, ragged paint-spattered jeans and a threadbare t-shirt, while Joel was still in his rumpled work suit. He could almost feel the sweat stains along his collar but Geoff seemed cool as anything. Not a worry in the world.

 

“Dude, come on, you hate this job,” Geoff needled. “You’re just some pissant accountant to that firm. You’re literally the lowest on the totem pole. What I’m talking about falls right into your skillset and it’s actually stimulating. That’s more than you can say about your cubicle.”

 

“It’s an office,” Joel grumbled in protest.

 

“That you fucking share with three people and has no windows, don’t play me.”

 

Joel huffed and got to his feet, taking up his sticky coffee mug and heading toward his small kitchen. It was hardly half a room and the pot of coffee he poured was little better than instant. Two years out of college and he thought he would’ve stopped living like one. But he was almost living hand to mouth on that entry level pay. He’d been at his firm crunching numbers for almost two years and he’d been passed over for a raise twice. Two degrees under his belt and still ten grand in debt. Joel was not anything one would call “successful”, or even happy. He’d known Geoff since he’d discovered the bar scene in college and his friend knew how much he was hating his mediocre little life. He was always coming to his apartment with new kinds of job offers but this was the first that sounded legitimate.

 

“I don’t know. It’s weird that they suddenly need three people.”

 

“It’s not that weird. They’re teetering on going out of business, it’s a smart decision.”

 

Joel made a sour face. “I’m still not sure. I don’t know if I can take off the time.”

 

“Just quit it,” Geoff scoffed. “It’s not like you can’t get another piss-money job.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Joel scoffed. “Just _quit_. Like you do, with everything.”

 

“I don’t-”

 

“Painting, architect, electrical engineering, your two year marriage-”

 

“Okay, she was a lesbian, she got me into pegging, and we’re still great friends.”

 

Joel felt a pang of jealousy but pushed it down. “Still. You quit everything. I can’t just leave my job. I have bills. I have a life.”  
  
“ _Barely_ ,” Geoff argued. “Remember that favor you owe me?”

 

Joel rolled his eyes. Geoff owed him way more than he did him, but the last favor he’d asked had been pretty big. He’d had to borrow a lot of money to fix his car and he knew he’d never be able to pay it back, so they’d agreed to stick to favors. It wasn’t his fault the bus was a breeding ground of bacteria and panic attacks.

 

Geoff saw the look on his face and powered on. “Listen, man, their system is fucked up. They don’t just need security guards, they need tech guys. That’s right up our alley! Call Burns. Put those stupid degrees to work. I know you’ve got debt up to your asshole.”

 

Joel pursed his lips but relented, walking back over and sitting down again. “Are you sure this place is legit?”

 

“Trust me here. They’ve got some busted animatronics that entertain kids all day. But, get this, they’re like - suits? Well, they used to be suits. Apparently they have springtraps or something inside and you can get fucking crushed up inside it. You can’t tell me you don’t want to work around human pulp makers all night?”

 

Joel was a pale guy but he was starting to look a little bloodless. “Oh god, that is the _last_ thing I want to do.”

 

Geoff slapped the laptop shut and Joel jumped, nearly spilling his coffee. His friend’s eyes had always been such a bright, convincing shade of blue and he tried his best to keep from getting lost in them - like he usually did. Geoff had gotten him into many adventures by turning on the big blues. It stemmed not only from the man’s silver tongue but that Joel just liked keeping Geoff around. The other was a bit of a drifter and popped in and out of his life, staying for a few weeks before heading off somewhere unknown. Agreeing to a proposition like this was a way to have Geoff by his side, even if it was only for a little wild before he disappeared.

 

He tried to look away but tattooed fingers snagged his chin and made him stay.

 

“Joel, come on,” Geoff insisted, looking so damned confidant that the other couldn’t help but get sucked into it. Geoff had a gravitational pull and Joel was lost, he should’ve known better than to fight it. He would always give in, _always_. That’s just how it was with Geoff, that’s how it would always be. “It’s like an adventure. I’ll be there the whole way. I’ll make sure you make decent money and then help you look for another job after, okay?”

 

Joel finally broke into a smile. “Fine. You win.”

 

The series of whoops excited wiggling Geoff did was not expected and Joel cried from how hard he laughed.

 

_This won't be so bad._

 

===

 

“Burns, its Heyman,” Joel greeted, shoulder pressing his phone to his ear as he shelled out some ones to the pretty girl behind the counter. “How solid are you at your job right now?”

 

“ _I fucking hate it here. PR is such bullshit. Everyone is an idiot.”_

 

“Perfect.” Joel broke into a grin. “Geoff came over and told me about a job. They’re going to need three people with tech and electrical experience. I know you’ve got both. What do you say?”

 

“ _So me, you, and your fucking college sweetheart? Am I going to have to watch you two make cow eyes at each other?”_

 

Joel flushed hotly and almost dropped the coffee the barista had just handed to him. “You’re an asshole. We’re not like that.”

 

“ _Whatever. I’m in.”  
_

There was some strange noises on the line and Joel frowned. “What are you doing?”  
  


_“Pissing on my boss’s desk. I’ll be at your place in an hour, we’ll talk details.”_

 

“Oh, gross!” Joel’s nose scrunched up. “Now you’re just being a health hazard.”

 

“ _Prude.”_

 

“Pig.”

 

=====

 

The three of them arrived at Freddy’s Fazbear Pizza and were struck by how old the place looked. Though it was crowded enough, the place was in dire need of a fresh coat of paint and new furniture. They were greeted by Adam Kovic, the Head of Security, and led through the throng of children and parents all the way to the back where a small office was. There was a bigger office down the hall from it and Geoff gave it a quick peek.to find it was a security room. Their new work space if all went well.

 

Mr. Matthew Hullum. Joel, Burnie, and Geoff got squished into too-tiny chairs in front of the cramped desk and watched him dab sweat from his brow. Geoff straight up didn’t like him right off the bat. The man had all the charm of a desperate used cars salesman and came off so fake he could almost taste plastic on the back of his tongue.

 

But they were hired, and he couldn’t complain about that.

 

“Here you are,” Hullum laid three thick contracts in front of them, placing a Bic pen on each. “Three non-disclosure contracts. A lawyer is very expensive so I’ll save us all the time and money. These contracts, in legal terms, say you cannot talk to anyone about what you see here. No matter what. If we catch wind of even a rumor, we will terminate your contract and file a lawsuit against you. All three of you.”

 

Joel’s fingers fidgeted in his lap. “That’s pretty serious.”

 

“Well, this is serious stuff,” Hullum countered calmly, but with a nervous little eye twitch. “These animatronics are our lifeblood. They’re our most important assets. We’ve already had to downsize from our last store - we’re asking you here to save us.”

 

The three friends exchanged looks, Burnie’s the most sour at the contracts.

 

“I will if you guys will,” Burnie agreed reluctantly.

 

Geoff threw an arm over the back of Joel’s chair and slumped with a lazy smile. “Okay, then we’re doing it.”

 

Though the trio didn’t see it, too busy looking over their contracts and getting ready to sign, but Hullum and Kovic shared a meaningful glance. Matt was growing pale and the security guard made a face at him, demanding silently that he keep himself together and get on with it.

 

“There is one more thing…”

 

“Fuck,” Burnie spat. He’d just finished signing his name, ink barely dried.

 

“There’s something about the suits you should know,” Hullum continued, ignoring the man’s protest to get out the speech he’d practiced in the mirror but it wasn’t coming out well. “The suits act...strangely at night. Not just strangely. There’s...you’ll see. Whatever you see, _do not_ repeat it. If you do, we will take every penny you have and your houses.”

 

“Sir, you can’t threaten us like this,” Joel pointed out.

 

“This isn’t a threat, it’s a warning,” Hullum assured him with a gesture. “You must follow Kovic’s instructions down to the letter. For not only the safety of the suits, but for your lives.”

 

Joel’s throat went dry. “Our lives?”

 

Geoff’s hand slid just below his nape and the weight helped settle his fluttering heart.

 

“You’ll understand when the time comes,” the owner stated firmly.

 

“But,” Kovic cut in. “I promise you we have the tools to protect you on your nights here.”

 

Hullum cleared his throat and stood up. “Kovic, let’s go get some coffee for everyone while these gentlemen decide whether or not they want to shred their contracts.”

 

Kovic looked reluctant but he seemed to want to present a unified front and agreed with a put upon smile. “We’ll be back in a moment.”

 

The door closed and the trio finally dared to look at one another. There was shock and horror written on all their faces, Hullum’s words still echoing.  

 

“I don’t want to risk my life, no one said that was on the table,” Burnie gritted out, staring down at his signature.

 

“They probably have burglars out the ass or something,” Geoff threw out.

 

“I don’t want to get burned alive if some teenager learns how to make napalm in his garage!” Burnie hissed loudly, barely trying to keep his voice down.

 

“It can’t be that bad,” Joel insisted past his buzz of nerves. “It has to be an exaggeration. Maybe their systems are super faulty and there’s exposed wires. I think they’re just not up to code and need to have a full reboot but they can’t fix it.”

 

Geoff nodded, drumming his fingers along the back of his friend’s chair. “I can totally see that. They want electricians and guards and software guys all rolled up together while paying under twenty five an hour.” His friends looked skeptical and he huffed. “Sunset to sunrise, guys, come on. Fifteen hundred a week? We all need the money and it’s doing what we seriously know how to do.”

 

Geoff shot a look at the door before gesturing for them to sit in close. Burnie leaned over but inked fingers curled along Joel’s nape to have him tip forward. The accountant’s blood started rushing so fast he almost didn’t hear the words being said. “There’s no cameras in the security room and we can keep it that way. We’ll take turns sleeping. No one has to work the full eleven hours. We’ll do what we can and blame the rest on their shitty equipment. And this is only for, what? Two months? Maybe the rest of the summer?”  
  
“Geoff…”

 

“You guys know this city is in for a dry spell of jobs, there’s worse things than this,” he pointed out. The two knew it was true, the job market was swarmed during the summer and they would all be pained to find good work until September rolled around.

 

Burnie made a sour face. “This is bullshit.”

 

“What, Burns?” Geoff snorted. “You’re too good to try and help restore a kids pizzeria?”

 

The door opened up. Hullum and Kovic returned, little paper cups of coffee in hand. The trio politely accepted them before laying their signed contracts on the table. Hullum got a strange look on his face but managed to twist it into a smile. Instead of a welcome spiel, the man said something surprising.

 

“I am absolutely adamant you come in before sunset. Any later, and you’ll find the doors barred automatically. They release at sunrise.”

 

“What?” Burnie snapped. “You’re locking us in here? Why?”

  
Hullum’s smile was strained, to say the least. “Again, Mr. Burns...for your protection as well as ours.”

=====

 

They were given one set of keys between the three of them with strict instructions not to make copies. Monday was their first day so they had the weekend to get their affairs in order, stock up on snacks and water and buy duffles for bedding and equipment. They weren’t sure exactly what they would need to bring with them so the first night was being treated like a trial period.

 

Geoff came in first to snoop out the place, unlocking everything and turning on the lights. He was determined to make this job work for both his friends no matter how shady it sounded. Everything seemed to open easily enough except for a small, locked room he couldn’t get into. He rattled the door a little but it was pretty unyielding.

 

The security room was pretty spacious. Two openings with slide-down, metal doors with wall panels and two vents. It was a long room with a bathroom at the back and three desks, two at the back and one in the front for the entire security set up. There were only two overhead lights with individual switches (which was a strange set up) but each desk had a lamp. One of them would be able to sit up front with the cameras while the other two slept in relative darkness.

 

Geoff headed out to the main floor to see the main attraction. The three suits were in place on stage and he remembered their names from the pamphlet – Bonnie, Chica, and the famous Freddy himself. They were still, staring into the empty party room with their instruments poised to play.

 

“Hey, guys, I’m Geoff!” he greeted cheerfully as he stepped up in front of the trio. “Looks like we’ll be roomies for a few months. Nice to meet you.”

 

He laughed to himself as he started to shake all their hands. He felt Chica’s hand tightening its grip only for a second, but it was there. “Kinda’ twitchy there, my feathery friend. You alright?” He lifted up her arm and ran his fingers down the limb, feeling the metal skeleton under the felt. “Hm. Legally I’m not allowed to open you up, and I’m not an engineer, but I’ve sat in on a bunch of classes and I’m pretty damn good on wiring. You hurting at all?”

 

Geoff peered at her face, then got a good look at them all. They had dust and oil matting their wild fur in patches, smears from pizza greased fingers on their eyes and accessories. They looked like they could use not only a tune up but a good old-fashioned wipe down. I’ll bring some cleaner tomorrow and a duster. You guys will be looking pretty in no time. Tell me if this arm keeps bothering you, okay pretty miss? I’ll see what I can do for you.”

 

He gave her a playful wink before stepping away and giving them all a wave. “Rest easy, guys.”

 

As he walked out, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He rubbed away the prickles and hurried up to get the security room dusted off before Joel arrived.

 

===

 

‘ _Hello, hello? This is Adam Kovic, Head of Security. Uh, I wanted to record a message for you to help you get settled in on your first night. I actually worked in that office before you. So, I know it can be a bit overwhelming, but I'm here to tell you there's nothing to worry about. I’m always here on the dayshift, if you want to come early and ask me any questions. But you'll do fine. So, let's just focus on getting you through your first week. Okay?’_

 

The three new hires were sitting around the tape recorder, sprawled in padded chairs and frowning as they listened to Kovic’s voice rattle through the machine. Why they couldn’t have gotten this spiel earlier they didn’t know but the tape had been left with a sticky note to listen before booting everything up.

 

‘ _Uh, let's see, first there's an introductory greeting from the company that I'm supposed to read. Uh, it's kind of a legal thing, you know.’_

 

Burnie groaned and buried his face in his folded arms. He groaned as he listened to Kovic continue with a faux-cheerful company greeting. “God, I hate him already. He’s such a tool.”

 

“I thought that would make you two best buds,” Geoff teased. “Go to the bar, get a couple of brewskis and talk about the big game and the rad pussy you scored the night before.”

 

Joel pulled a face. “Gross.”

 

Geoff batted his lashes innocently. “Pussy or beer?”

 

“Both, the language, God you’re crude,” Joel scolded with a playful edge. “Shut up, I’m trying to listen.”

 

‘ _-a bit quirky at night, but do I blame them? No.'_

 

Joel hushed them, smacking Burnie in the arm when he started making droning noises.

 

‘… _so, remember, these characters hold a special place in the hearts of children and we need to show them a little respect, right? Okay. Just be aware, the characters do tend to wander a bit. Uh, they're left in some kind of free roaming mode at night. Uh...something about their servos locking up if they get turned off for too long. Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too. But then there was The Bite of '87. Yeah. It's amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?’_

 

Joel shuddered at the thought of it. “God.”

 

Burnie didn’t seem at all concerned. In fact, he was poking through the cardboard box they’d been left. “I’m not wearing these stupid things.”

 

Geoff kicked the box, rattling everything inside. “Yeah, fuck that.”

 

“Guys!”

 

‘ _Uh, now concerning your safety, the only real risk to you as a night watchman here, if any, is the fact that these characters, uh, if they happen to see you after hours probably won't recognize you as a person. They'll most likely see you as a metal endoskeleton without its costume on.’_ Those words were rushed out. _‘Now since that's against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, they'll probably try to...forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit.’_

 

Burnie’s jaw dropped. “What the _fuck?_ ”

 

Joel’s fingers trembled on the table and he quickly stuffed them into his lap.

 

‘ _Now, that wouldn't be so bad if the suits themselves weren't filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort...and death. Uh, the only parts of you that would likely see the light of day again would be your eyeballs and teeth when they pop out the front of the mask, heh.’_

 

“Joel?” Geoff looked his friend over, worry etching over his face as he watched the man blanch. He shook his head but couldn’t reply, throat swollen up.

 

“I’m not cleaning up your vomit.”

 

“Shut up, Burns!”

 

“Bite me, Ramsey!”

 

‘ _Yeah, they don't tell you these things when you sign up. But hey, first day should be a breeze. I'll chat with you tomorrow. Uh, check those cameras, and remember to close the doors only if absolutely necessary. Gotta’ conserve power. Alright, good night.’_

 

“I take back what I said,” Burnie growled out after the cassette player kicked off. “He’s not a tool, he’s a _toolbox._ ”

 

Joel jumped to his feet with a nervous grace and went to the door panels, fingers still threatening to tremble. He busied them by playing with the door panel, watching how quickly the door slid down when the button was pushed. He tested them by sticking his hand under the door before it closed and had to yank it back – there were no sensors it seemed, it would slam shut no matter what.

 

Geoff tentatively rose out of his chair. “You okay, man?”

 

Joel nodded quickly, slapping the button to raise the doors again. There was a display screen on the security desk that seemed to show the power levels for the entire building. Playing with the door had taken off a section of a light bar and he felt the first itch of concern.

 

Geoff hovered behind him, unsure what to do. “Uh, Hullum said he’ll have new generators for just the doors set up outside soon.”

 

Joel snapped out of his nervous trance with a jolt, forcing himself out of a terrified spiral. He’d have to deal with those feelings later but he could push them down. “Why not in the building?”

 

“He said the only place they’d do it is in here, and I suggested not,” Geoff replied, relieved to see those dark eyes clearing up. “I didn’t tell him we were going to take sleeping shifts but I think he got the gist.”

 

Burnie tapped away at the security system and flicked through several screens, frowning sharply. “So we can only bring up two cameras at a time without absolutely draining the power and the one in the kitchen is out. We could bring in monitors for the rest but it’d be a waste of time when we’re just going to haul in a whole new system set. Jesus, we have some work cut out for us.”

 

“Limited power for now.” Geoff scrubbed a hand through his beard, thinking.

 

Burnie rolled his chair up and flopped into it, pushing his glasses up into his copper curls before kicking his feet up on the desk. He leaned back with a lazy smirk, fingers lacing together at the top of his neck. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m milking this. My other job was all about getting hounded and now I won’t even see my boss. Hell yes.”

 

“I want to get this done as soon as possible,” Joel grumbled, throwing his bag onto one of the desks and starting to unload all the office supplies he’d jacked from his old office. “I hate animatronics. Robots are terrifying.”

 

Burnie snorted out a laugh. “You’re scared of everything.”

 

“I want to do the job right too, but let’s drag it out,” Geoff mediated. “We can practically do whatever we want here. You can’t tell me that doesn’t have appeal, Joel?”

 

Joel tisked at him, laying out the sketch paper they’d use to use to map out the problem areas in the pizzeria. “Matt and Kovic said they trusted us to know what's best. They're low on money, it's not right.”

 

“Oh, who gives a shit, Heyman?” Burnie spat with some venom. “Who cares if this place runs afterward? I’m taking my money in cash and erasing all the tapes with me on them. No one is going to know I was even here.”

 

Joel sneered. “You are such a piece of shit.”

 

“Guys, come on,” Geoff mediated, getting between them and giving Joel a look that pleaded with him to get along with their stubborn friend. “By the time we get out of here, this place will be super well stocked and profitable as dicks, okay? So can we just _chill_?”

 

After a few more tense moments, the other two backed down, sighing to themselves.

 

“This is going to be great, buddy,” Geoff promised Burnie, shooting a wink at Joel to see his cheeks pink up. “Three guys hanging out, playing with toys, and we get free pizza every night. What could go wrong, huh? How is this not total cake?”

 

 

 


End file.
